I'm extremely paranoid about driving an ATV because I'm always alone, usually in rough country when I'm doing my inspections. Seldom go over 5-10 miles an hour especially in the bad places but even then I had a close call last summer. Had to climb a steep slope to get to the other end of the section and had to take a run at it to get to the top. Would have been fine but I had to straddle a washed out pickup track and half way up I hit a bump that threw me into the washout which threw me sideways. I knew I was screwed immediately and dived off the side of the ATV. Problem was I dived off the downhill side and the ATV came rolling down the hill towards me. I didn't have time to get up and out of its way so I just started rolling sideways down the hill with the ATV half a roll behind me. Got stuck in the washout just as the ATV got jammed in the rut right beside me. Very close call in an area with no cell phone coverage. I think of that episode every time I have to climb a steep hill. One reason I carry a spare set of underwear in the cubby hole. Wish there was an affordable device to communicate with someone where there is no cell service. I only need it for 2-3 months and don't want to pay a years subscription for a Sat phone or something like that. I suppose it would be better to be safe than sorry because I cover a 3 or 4 county area and some of the places I go are so remote it could be days or even weeks before someone stumbled across my work truck. I keep thinking about that woman in Hawaii who got lost hiking and wasn't found for over 2 weeks until she flagged down a helicopter. Just a bad ATV wreck and I could be in the same boat.
